Synonyms in a broader sense
Medical: Adiposityobesity, obesity, obesity
Definition
Obesity is a widespread problem in western society. Due to an oversupply of food and the development of increasingly tasty food products, the problem of overweight will continue to gain in importance in the future. The consequential costs of overweight are already immense.
Body Mass Index
The measure used by the WHO (world health organisation) to determine overweight is the so-called body mass index. You can find more information about this calculation method in our Body Mass Index section.
Forms
Basically one differentiates medically between the
- Abdominal obesity (fat on the stomach) and
- Peripheral obesity (fat on legs, arms and especially buttocks)
WHR (“waist-to-hip ratio”)
This is the classification and risk classification of overweight with the help of circumference measurements. It is about estimating the regional fat distribution. In the early 1980s, this method of assessing fat distribution on the basis of circumference measurements became established worldwide.
According to more recent ideas, the measurement of the waist circumference alone is sufficient for classification. The WHO also recommends this method. Waist circumference (cm) As early as 1947, physicians had discovered that fat accumulation in the abdominal cavity is usually accompanied by other complications such as high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar and blood lipid levels.
This is much less likely to be the case with fat accumulation on the hips.
- Women:Abdominal, android obesity: >0.85Peripheral, gynoid obesity: <0.85
- Abdominal, android obesity: >0.85
- Peripheral gynoid obesity: <0.85
- Men:Abdominal, android obesity: >1.0Peripheral, gynoid obesity: <1.0
- Abdominal, android obesity: >1.0
- Peripheral gynoid obesity: <1.0
- Abdominal, android obesity: >0.85
- Peripheral gynoid obesity: <0.85
- Abdominal, android obesity: >1.0
- Peripheral gynoid obesity: <1.0
- Women:Risk moderately increased: >80Risk strongly increased: >88
- Risk moderately increased: >80
- Risk greatly increased: >88
- Men:Risk moderately increased: >94Risk strongly increased: >102
- Risk moderately increased: >94
- Risk greatly increased: >102
- Risk moderately increased: >80
- Risk greatly increased: >88
- Risk moderately increased: >94
- Risk greatly increased: >102
This is the “typical trunk obesity” with fat increase in the abdominal area (abdominal). The fat is not located in the subcutaneous fat tissue, but in the abdominal area itself (visceral).
The term android (male) obesity comes from the fact that this form is found in about 80% of overweight men but only in 15% of women. The term apple shape (“apple type”) is quite common. This form of obesity often occurs in connection with other health problems. These are joint problems such as hip or knee arthrosis and risk factors that are summarized under the umbrella term “metabolic syndrome“.
